Show Presidents President's Preparedness Preachment The immediate the conspicuous outcome of the presidents president's preparedness tour has bas been to quiet the hysterical S The president took ook his message to the cities of seven states and even his llis most powerful and persistent political opponents opponents could could not confuse any of the people people East East West North or South South as as to the sincerity of the tho presidents president's presidents president's dents dent's motives Nor could they destroy the presidents president's faith in the same Judgment of the people themselves when they should hear the truth about the new need for improved methods of national defense Excited thousands g gathered everywhere to hear the president speak They listened to what Tie he lie had to say about preparedness Now we shall hear from the people after they have digested tho the national speech in its entirety for it was really one great speech in several parts To condense and analyze the presidents president's speeches from first to last would not be difficult because the speaks president with the simplicity and directness which the highly educated and the uneducated man hay hav have in cornmon com corn mon monBut But the cumulative substance and continuing spirit of oC what Woodrow Wilson said is best given in his own thrilling words A few vivid excerpts excepts tell the story They follow the order of the cities clUes visited They produce a marvelous crescendo from the first words of quiet warning to the exquisite tribute to our country's flag and the startling Topeka declaration Addressing his Pa audience the president ent said It amazes me to hear men speak as if America stood alone in the world and cold follow her own life as she pleased We are In the midst of a a world that we did not make and we cannot filter lter and its whole atmosphere and physical conditions are tho the conditions conditions' of our own life also In Cleveland 0 p. p the president emphasized his warning I I do not wish to leave you with the impression that I am thinking of some particular danger I merely want to leave you with this solemn impression that I know that we are we-are are daily treading amidst the most intricate dangers and that the dangers that we are treading amongst are not of our making and are not under our control and that no man in the United States knows what a single a single day or a single hour ma may bring forth The longest perhaps the most comprehensive speech of the tour the president made in Chicago Referring to the peculiar difficulties of of his position he said We may have to assert the principles of r right and of humanity at any time What for force e is at the disposal of the United States to assert these things The force of opinion I I. I would not belittle the influences of opinion It is very influential but it will not stop atop this overwhelming flood And if not the force of opinion what for force farm has han America Amri av available II Mn to r n et n th 1 U n flowing our own fair area We have have have- one enc considerable fd bi arm of f rde fo force namely the splendid navy of the United States The president then proceeded to outline his program for naval prepared prepared- ness but this excerpt has been selected from the Milwaukee Wis speech as being the more condensed form 5 We have been slowly building up a navy which in quality Is second to no navy in the world The only thing It lacks is quantity What we are proposing now Is not a sudden creation of a navy but the definite working out of a program by which within five years we will bring the navy to a fighting strength which otherwise otherwise other other- wise might have taken eight or ten years At Des Moines Momes Ia la the president paid a tribute to the flag which promises to become a classic As I look ook at that flag I seem to see many characters upon it which tire are not visible to the physical eye There seem to move ghostly visions of devoted men And every grave of every brave man in the country would seem to have upon it the colors of the flag if he were a true American would American would seem to have on it that stain of red which means the true pulse of blood that patch of pure white which means the peace of the soul And then there seems to rise over the graves of those men and to hallow their memories that blue space of the sky in which swim th those se stars which exemplify for us the glorious galaxy of the states of the union which stand together to vindicate the rights of mankind But the great sensation of ot the tour was reserved for Topeka Kan What lias has already become known as the Topeka declaration promises to become a. a historic document The presidents president's remarks ar are arp said to be aimed at foreign interference with United States commerce The declaration reads There is another thing that we we ought to safeguard and that is our right to sell what we produce in the open neutral markets of the world 5 It may be necessary to use the force of the United States to vindicate vindicate vin- vin the right of American citizens everywhere to enjoy the protection of of international law As he neared the conclusion of his work the presidents president's words seemed to in increase rease in forcefulness At Kansas City he referred to the embarrassments embarrassments embarrass embarrass- ments meats which he had had to endure in connection with Mexican affairs o J Wh What t stands behind the president if he should have to set out in your behalf to enforce the demands of the United States for respect an and right An army so small that I havo have not had men enough to patrol patro the Mexican border At St. St Louis Mo he shaped his final appeal in these words I know you will come if I call you but will you coming know what you are doing and how to do it The plans now low laid before the congress of the United States are merely plans not to throw the life ife of American youth away Those plans are going to o be adopted I The American navy ought in my judgment to be incomparably the greatest navy in the world S I Whether the presidents president's speeches are read in whole or in part they pro ro duce a feeling of security the security the kind which from comes a realization of ot power 1 and the knowledge o of or how to direct it In the best way |